Category: Marketing

Marketing and Lead Generation for Financial Advisors

This week, we’re going to let Kate, our marketing gal, share what she has learned over 4 years of helping financial professionals with their marketing.

Kate recently implemented a content marketing strategy that helped my (Todd Langford’s) wife, Kim Butler, generate leads EVERY DAY in her financial advising practice… without making any phone calls, attending any networking meetings, or needing to ask for referrals (although she still does that, of course!)

Kim is a top producer, and she does it working with clients only THREE DAYS A WEEK. Kate helps her do that by ensuring that Kim has people to talk to those 3 days! Kim focuses on meeting with clients, and Kate srategizes how to find people for her to meet with.

And now, we’ll let Kate share exactly how she is accomplishing that!

How to Get 3 Leads a Day – by Avoiding 5 Common Marketing Mistakes!

For 3+ years, I’ve been creating, testing, measuring and changing the marketing for Kim’s financial practice, Partners for Prosperity, LLC. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.

Then I look around at what others are doing, and I understand why most it’s so difficult for many advisors to generate leads, or to do so without very expensive or time-consuming strategies.

While our marketing (and the website) is still a “work in progress,” we are enjoying excellent results:

Our website has captured 150 email leads in less than two months.

“Dormant” clients have been re-engaged.

People call US to set appointments… every week.

Clients show up with educated questions, ready to get started.

Below are 5 mistakes I see many financial advisors making, with details on what we’re doing differently.

(And if you want to get a copy of our “client attracting ebook” and attend a webinar to learn more about using the same strategies in your business, keep reading!)

Mistake #1. Trying to get appointments without giving something first.

One thing I love about Kim is that the idea of “giving first” comes naturally to her. “Give First” was the title of a speech she gave as a senior in high school, and also a value instilled in her by her parents.

Giving value first is a good principle in life as well as marketing, but when we understand the shifts happening in our industry as the result of the internet, it becomes absolutely essential for success.

The truth is, most people don’t want to speak to financial advisors or insurance agents… even when they NEED financial advice or life insurance! But everyone likes to learn something they can use.

Today, consumers like to research online and “check out” professionals, strategies and ideas first before taking action. (This is true even if they’ve received a referral or met you in person!)

We give value first and satisfy people’s internet research appetites by publishing LOTS of helpful information. We write books, blog posts, and Kim started doing radio shows and now a podcast.

We found that people appreciated the resources we provide. But still, leads weren’t exactly pouring in.

So we wrote a new book, Financial Planning Has Failed, and we GAVE IT AWAY on our website as part of the “Prosperity Accelerator Pack.” Now people opt in EVERY DAY on Kim’s website to get the ebook, and sometimes, they become clients.

(You can get a copy of the ebook we use on this hidden page on theSummit4Advisors.com website.)

Mistake #2. Forgetting that it’s all about them.

Everyone likes being communicated with in such a way that they feel understood. I am amazed how many websites and marketing materials forget this.

On many financial websites, I read about their “high integrity,” their “stellar reputation,” and their “years of experience.”

*Yawn.*

Do they know who their prospects are? How they think? What they’re concerned about, and what motivates them to action?

We (Kim’s practice) help people “build wealth without Wall Street risks and worries.” We use that language because people (at least, the ones likely to become our clients) are concerned about the stock market and looking for alternatives.

We help people save where their money can outpace inflation and be safe and liquid.

We help them invest for reliable monthly cash flow where accredited investors can even earn low double-digit interest rates.

And we help them grow their assets in investments that are immune to market downturns and offer excellent protection for principle.

It’s not about us. It’s about what our clients and prospects want.

Mistake #3. Not developing and using “marketing assets.”

Most people think of “marketing” in terms of activities that happen in a limited time frame.

An advertisement might reach people for a day, a week, or a year, depending on the context.

A physical event such as a seminar or a dinner might give you a bump in business for a few weeks at most.

A networking meeting might generate leads for a week or a month, but you’re going to have to keep doing it.

Kim doesn’t have to go “market” for her business; the marketing assets do it for her. Her books on Amazon bring prospects to her website. The Prosperity Podcast finds new listeners each week on iTunes. There are blog posts that we wrote YEARS ago that still bring us leads.

If marketing requires your TIME to do it, you will STOP marketing when you start to get busy with clients.

I see this “feast and famine” cycle happening in many businesses, and it keeps them from getting to the next level, keeping them perpetually limited.

The way OUT of the cycle is to develop and use marketing assets that can work with or without your active involvement.

In Kim’s business, the information that we give away in the form of books, ebooks, blog posts, videos and podcasts are our marketing assets. They work hard so she can work smart!

Mistake #4. Not having an EASY way to capture leads.

The truth is that you can give first, develop wonderful, relevant marketing assets, and communicate with your prospective clients in a way that shows them you truly understand and can help them.

And they still might hire someone else.

That’s because they might have found you online (or some other way), but you didn’t even know because you had no easy way for them to stay in the loop with you.

Offering a free newsletter or ezine they can sign up for is better than nothing, but honestly, newsletters get very few sign ups. Having a “lead magnet” such as a compelling free ebook, resource list, special report, an audio CD or mp3 works much better.

(Then give them the newsletter or ezine as a bonus.)

Having multiple leads magnets is even better, especially if you target different ideal clients with different solutions.

And please! don’t ask for their email address, first and last name, date of birth, physical address and phone number. The more information you ask for, the fewer leads you’ll get.

Mistake #5. Not keeping in touch in a consistent, leveraged way.

Once people do opt in, you’ve got to keep in touch. And I don’t mean once a quarter! (They won’t even remember who you are.)

Kim was sending an ezine out once a month, and it linked to content that was not original, but it was general content that many advisors could have used. (Well-written but a little dull.)

Now we send an ezine out every week (or close to it). The ezine links to original articles and podcasts featuring Kim. Sometimes we even include brief stories or a picture about Kim or her alpacas, so that Kim is a “human being” and not some faraway financial expert or talking head.

We’re engaging our readers, and they engage us in return. We receive comments on our website and get replies to the ezine, questions and requests for appointments on a weekly basis.

It’s not enough to attract leads. You must have a system for nurturing them. And as valuable as phone calls and coffee meetings are, as your business grows, you HAVE to have a “keep in touch” system that is easy and lets you leverage your time. (Then you can call and have coffee with just your “A” list clients, while keeping in touch with everyone.)

To get a copy of Kim’s ebook, Financial Planning Has Failed (the one generating daily leads) AND attend a “Three Leads a Day” webinar to find out how you can use these same strategies in your business, click here.

Is there a common marketing mistake you’d like to fess up to? If you see how you can improve your own marketing efforts, please share below!

In a nutshell: Older website technology such as flash, too-tiny text and pages that aren’t appropriately formatted (or adjustable) for smaller devices are “out,” and websites designed to be compatible with iphones, windows phones and android smartphones are “in.”

Why it matters:

What this means is that if your website is out-dated, when people do searches on their phones, your website may be out-ranked by other competitor websites.

Searched done on desktops or laptops will be unaffected.

If your business relies on potential customers and clients finding you on Google, then it is important that you update your website ASAP if it does not pass the mobile-friendly test.

Not sure if your website is mobile or not?

You can enter your domain name here and Google will run a quick, free analysis. (I believe Google also give recommendations if your site is not mobile, but fortunately all the websites I manage passed the test!)

Rahna Barthelmess is an expert in branding and personal branding and today’s guest blogger. She is celebrating the launch of her new book, Your Branding Edge: How Personal Branding Can Turbocharge Your Career with a virtual blog tour, and we are happy to host her. Personal branding can help you get more clients more quickly, as Rahna shares in this post, “Want More Clients? Effective Personal Branding for Advisors.”

You’ve done all the training. You’ve got all the right credentials. You stay current in your field. You are legitimately an expert and provide strong value to the clients you do have… you just don’t have enough clients to fill your practice.

If you need more clients, then you need to strengthen your personal brand.

Personal branding is not just about a slogan or the colors on your website (though it may include that, too.) Personal branding is knowing who you are and what you have to offer that is different from everyone else out there…and then shining a spotlight on that so that the right opportunities and the right people can find you.

In my book, Your Branding Edge: How Personal Branding Can Turbocharge Your Career, I outline seven core principles of personal branding. For purposes of this post, I will deal with two of them: Be Clear and Be Bold.

These are two main areas of focus for proper development of your personal brand:

Part 1: What you want to communicate (what will your message be)

Part 2: Where/how you are going to communicate that message

Part 1: Be Clear About Who You Are and What You Have to Offer

You need to get really clear and really specific about what your point of differentiation is. What are you passionate about? Think deeply about what is unique about you.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 223,400 people who are categorized as having the job title, “Personal Financial Advisor,” so it’s not enough for you to describe yourself that way! You’re not a cookie-cutter insurance agent, so never describe yourself like one.

Take the time to dig deeper, understand the more nuanced aspects of what it’s like working with you. Maybe you are the “OMG-We’re-Having-a-Baby-Now-What-Do-We-Do?” Advisor that specializes in helping soon-to-be parents sleep at night, get their financial house in order, get financially prepared to have a baby. Or you are the “Redefining Retirement” Advisor that is going to help Gen X navigate the next years of their financial lives.

It’s not enough to just be a “Financial Advisor;” there is more to you and your work than that! Some advisors may identify themselves as a “Prosperity Economics Advisor,” an “Insurance Planner,” or a “Retirement Income Specialist.” Or perhaps you identify yourself with a sales system or specialty certification.

You might try on different titles and introductions before you settle on one, or consider that you can embrace more than one, tailoring your title for the specific audience. You may want to go to different networking groups and see what generates the best results and what feels most authentic for you. Just make sure that you bring your own specific flavor and style to your branding, and that your ideal client isn’t “everyone.” If you’re trying to attract everyone, chances are, you’re too generic to appeal to anyone.

What problems do you solve? Who do you help? How is your process different, or what results do you provide that other advisors cannot? You have a unique perspective that is right for someone, and how you get matched with that ideal client is incumbent upon articulating that perspective in a way that they can hear it.

Part 2: Be Bold in the Expression of Your Personal Brand

It’s not enough to simply identify what is unique about you; you then have to go out and let everyone know what you do and how you do it so that the right people can find you.

Personal branding is a verb; you must DO SOMETHING every day to actively manage your personal brand. Develop a marketing plan for yourself to become known to your target audience. There are so many tools to get your message out there! You can’t take advantage of them all, but choose two or three to start:

Write a guest blog where your target audience will see it.

Give a presentation, do a radio interview, or reach out to a local reporter to offer to act as a resource for them whenever a financial story comes up.

Share your ideas broadly in networking groups to gain as much exposure as possible.

Brainstorm a list of all possible means to get your message out there, and then prioritize those ideas by viability (the ones will have the biggest impact and that you feel you can execute most expeditiously).

Now go do them.

Every day.

Do something to broadcast your personal brand every single day… consistency is key! Stick with it, observe what works and do even more of that… and watch as the right clients come knocking on your door.

Rahna Barthelmess is a branding and personal branding consultant and the author of Your Branding Edge: How Personal Branding Can Turbocharge Your Career. Want to know what the other five personal branding strategies are? Read the book or sign up for her companion course to build your own personal brand at www.YourBrandingEdge.com